2014 ALM Daily Business Review, Top FLORIDA Verdicts and Settlements of 2013

Premises Liability -- Papakaloudoukas v Walmart

Personal injury Lawyer, Port St. Lucie

A Personal Injury lawyer helps you when you have experienced an injury through no fault of your own. An experienced injury attorney will help you receive fair compensation for your injury, from an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit filed against the responsible party.

Things to do after your accident:

There are a number of critical steps you must take to improve your chances of receiving compensation. The following are the steps that you should take:

‍Seek medical treatment immediately even if you think you're fine. Visiting the doctor right after your accident will start the treatment you need and begin the vital process of documenting the event and assessing the extent of your injuries. If your accident results in litigation, you and your attorney will be required to present detailed documentation of your injuries.

Immediately request copies of your medical records, so you have them readily available as your claims process begins. Your insurance company, lawyer and potentially the court will require these documents. Without these documents you have not case.

Obtain a copy of the police or accident report. Some personal injuries may occur as a result of a motor vehicle accident. If you were injured in a vehicle accident, such as one that involved commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers or large trucks, then there should be a police report or accident report available. According to Florida law, police are required to submit an accident report within ten days of the time that the accident's investigation is completed. You should be able to request a copy of the accident report from the local police department.

If you were injured in a slip and fall incident on public or private property, then you should be able to receive a copy of the accident report from the property manager as long as you reported the incident.

If you were injured in an incident that is covered by insurance, such as a car accident, then you should file an insurance claim as soon as you can. Insurance companies often have a time limit as to when you can file a claim following an accident.

Speak to a personal injury attorney. The sooner that you speak with an attorney about your personal injury case, the better. A good personal injury lawyer will be able to inform you about what your legal options are during a basic consultation. If you decide to hire the attorney, then they will help guide you through the process and help make sure that you don't make any errors that could hurt your ability to receive fair compensation. Additionally, the legal process can be quite complicated, so you'll want to work with someone who is familiar with it.

What Will Your Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

During our free consultation, we will determine whether you have a valid claim. If you do have a valid claim and you decide to work with us, we will take the following steps to build and strengthen your personal injury case, thereby putting you in the best possible position to earn the compensation you deserve:

We will record your full statement about the accident and your injuries

We will obtain witness statements to back up your statement

We will speak with the police involved with your case

We will obtain your medical records and review them thoroughly

We will analyze your financial losses

We will speak to the insurance company on your behalf

We will reconstruct the accident using the state-of-the-art technology if necessary

We will speak with medical experts concerning your case

We will do further investigative work regarding any other aspects of your case to ensure that we get all the information and evidence that's available

Compensation

Our goal is to build your case in order to reach a reasonable resolution with an insurance company or the party responsible for your injuries so that you can receive the compensation you deserve. If we cannot agree on a settlement, we will take your case to trial.

Damages from an Injury

There are two types of damages that we can help you obtain as part of your compensation - economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover the financial losses that you have sustained or will sustain as a result of your injury. These include:

Any wages or income lost in the past or in the future due to your injury.

The cost of hospital bills, doctor's visits and laboratory tests that resulted from or will result from your injury.

The replacement value, appraised value or repair costs for any personal property destroyed in the accident that resulted in your injury.

Non-economic damages refer to the physical and emotional toll caused by your injuries. These types of damages are more difficult to quantify since they do not have a designated value attached to them. However, these types of damages tend to cover pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, loss of consortium, lost opportunity, loss of quality of life, and mental anguish.

In some cases, you may also be entitled to punitive damages, which is a form of compensation provided to punish the defendant for their conduct as well as to serve as a deterrent to others.

Statute of Limitations

It's important to understand that Florida has a statute of limitations for personal injury claims. For most personal injuries, you have to file a claim within four years from the date of your injury. For medical malpractice and wrongful deaths, it's two years. Because of this, it's important that you get the legal process rolling as quickly as possible by speaking with a personal injury lawyer that can help you file a claim.

GloriaLaw’s client, a high school student, was
invited to a house party with underage drinkers in Palm City, Florida. A partygoer
smashed a full bottle of beer across his face.
The young man sustained several facial fractures, and he ultimately
required surgery. Additionally, he sustained nerve damage and a hemorrhage in
his right eye. This injury delayed his entrance into the Navy. GloriaLaw obtained a policy limits settlement
for this very deserving young man totaling $300,000, allowing him to move
forward with his life after graduation from high school. The insurance company
initially denied liability, claiming fault on behalf of the client.

Settlement, award and verdict amounts for case results found on our site may be prior to reduction for attorney’s fees, expenses and comparative negligence reductions or costs and payments, if any, to medical providers, health insurers, Medicare or Medicaid. Results may not be typical. You may not have as beneficial result.